DAIRY INDUSTRY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 138, 24 March 1939, Page 8

DAIRY INDUSTRY

& THE GUARANTEED PRICE. I ADDRESS BY BOARD CHAIRMAN. (Special to the “Guardian.”) TIMARU, This Day. Having accepted the guaranteed price as an established principle of the Government and having mutually agreed upon standards of costs of production (which should be altered only under very exceptional circumstances), the dairy industry of New Zealand is not prepared to accept any variation of standards as recommended by the 1938 Advisory Committee. Moreover, under to-day’s condition, any return to the basis of accepting an open, market price 'would' be unthinkable.” This announcement was made by the chairman ~of r the New Zealand Dairy Board (Mr W. E. Hale) in the course of -ah address at Temuka at the annual conference of the South Canterbury Dairy Ward, which was presided over by Mr J. Dunlop, South Island repre- ! 'sentative. It was also intimated that the industry would not agree to the suggestion of the Minister of Marketing, that the guaranteed price for next season be the same as that at present obtaining. “The suggestion that an expert committee should go into the question of', farm costs simply means the re-opening of an inquiry, which was satisfactorily completed last year,” he ', added: ' ' 1 - ■ '"; : ' ! ; Under a system by which the whole of ; the. dairy produce was purchased by 'the State, it was essential to have an intermediate body acting as advocate for the dairy industry, said Mr Hale. Such an organisation must accept the broad outlines of the Government s policy,' but at the same time it should endeavour to obtain for its producers the best possible terms. Thus, the Dairy Board, with its statutory powers, was the representative organisation of the producers,, and as an indication of its value to the industry, Mr Hale men- . tioned the cost of the lloard was recouped many times over by way of the increase in the guaranteed price, which was largely due to the convincing statistical ’evidence collected by the Board and analysed by Professor Tocker, of Christchurch. . Future Price Fixation. Regarding the future of , the guaranteed price, Mr Hale, reported on an interview lie had had with the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. ■ Walter Nash). The Government’s viewpoint, hb said, had been set out in a letter to him as chairman of the Dairy Board, and he had been given permission to consult the associated organisations in order to obtain the reaction of the industry to Mr Nash’s suggestions. The Minister’s proposals had received very careful consideration, and the decision j conveyed to. him was that the standards recommended by the' 1938 Advisory Committee, and accepted unanimously by the dairy industry, were standards "that the industry, or any'organisation associated with the industry, could not agree to vary. The Minister’s Suggestion* that the guaranteed price for . next season should be that announced by him for the present season was not acceptable. Mr P. M. Downes (Milford)', and Mr p . Taylor (Ashburton) were appointed delegates to represent the South Canterbury Ward at the Dominion Conference which is to be held in Wellington. •

Remits Adopted. . A remit/ from the Cloverlea Dairy Company was passed: “That in ordei keep up the quality during the production period and to keep down rising costs, that a 52-hour week he worked in small factories for 36 weeks, eight weeks at 44 hours and eight weeks at 40 Hours.” • It was moved by Mr J. Macaulay that in view, of tho verbal assurance of the Minister for Marketing that a preferential rates of 2d per lb would be for butterfat for cheese production that the necessary means be adopted to. ensure the fulfilment of the promise. This was passed as a remit. Mr L. 11. Clarke (Ashburton) said that, a remit at the last Dominion Conference had been discussed and that subsequently the National Dairy Association. had considered the same remit. The position was that the National Council was no more representative of the dairying industry of the Dominion than was the South Island Dairy Association. The question was:. ‘ ‘Who was to rule ?” Mr Hale: The position has been correctly stated. I have no hesitation in stating that the Dairy Board should rule.